Card: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 2/10   Received: 3/13    (30 days)

Fred Jackson’s journey to the NFL is a unique one graduating from tiny private liberal arts college Coe in 2003. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,702 yards and 29 TDs in 2003 for the Kohawks. Undrafted, Jackson had multiple tryouts in the NFL but was considered too small, so he joined the Sioux City Bandits (NIFL 2004, UIF 2005). A juggernaut in the two leagues, he’d be named MVP of the UIF in 2005.

In 2006, Jackson joined the NFLE, rushing for  731 yards and 2 TDs, and catching 27 passes for 317 yards. The Bills decided to take a stab at Fred in 2006, maybe on a whim, because GM Marv Levy was a former Kohawk alum himself. Jackson would make the squad and scored his first TD in 2008. He’d win the starting job from Marshawn Lynch and hasn’t looked back. Jackson had career highs in yards with 1,062 yards rushing and 1,014 yards kick returning, marking the first time in league history a player has ever done that. While he’d narrowly miss the 1,000 yard mark in 2010 and 2011, injuries have frustratingly cut into his playing time. In 2013, Fred finished with 890 yards and 9 TDs, including 105 yards on 18 carries and a TD, in a 19-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

I’ve seen a few successes here and there on Fred and so I decided to take a shot. I always love to get responses back from WLAF/NFLE alumni, and the fact that he’s still chasing his dream now makes it all the more sweeter.